Lotus Temple (Bahá'í House of Worship), Delhi

The Lotus Temple is Delhi's Bahá'í House of Worship, a marble lotus open to people of every faith. Here are its seasonal timings, the Monday closure and what to expect inside.

The Lotus Temple is the Bahá'í House of Worship for the Indian subcontinent, in Kalkaji, south Delhi. It opened for worship in December 1986. The Iranian-born architect Fariborz Sahba chose the lotus as a symbol shared by many of India's faiths. The building is clad in white marble and made of 27 free-standing petals arranged in clusters of three. Nine doors open into a central hall that can seat about 2,500 people.

Nine pools of water surround the petals and reflect the structure, and the temple is set in landscaped gardens. In keeping with Bahá'í practice, there are no idols, sermons or rituals. Anyone may enter to pray or meditate in silence, and short prayer services with readings from various scriptures are held during the day. Volunteers brief visitors in groups before they walk up to the hall. Shoes are left at a counter before the steps, and silence is kept inside.

On Sundays and holidays the queues can be long, and the prayer hall may close when it is overcrowded or in heavy rain. Entry is free, and the temple is closed on Mondays. It looks best in the late afternoon and when it is floodlit at dusk. The nearest metro station is Kalkaji Mandir, a short walk from the gate. The famous Kalkaji Mandir, a Hindu temple, is across the road.